Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Gert's had a lurgy, Glasgow trip and more-

What is about lurgys? You don't get one for years and then 3 come along at once.It feels like my head has been cocooned in catarrh for the last couple of weeks. Clear thought finally returning together with the realisation that we are nearly half way through 2013, does not seem possible.
The trip to Mono on Record Store Day to celebrate the release of Caught in Midstream was a blast, thanks to everyone involved at Mono for the very friendly welcome and for the great buzz from the crowd (and they sold out of the single). Definitely recommend a visit to the Cafe and Shop if you are in Glasgow, there is always something going on- http://www.monocafebar.com/index.php?pid=84 https://www.facebook.com/stevenmcseveney2

Stayed at the Alexander Thomson Hotel this time and think it's a bargain. Nearly half the price of the last hotel Gert stayed in in Glasgow (which Gert also recommended in a previous blog) , friendly, helpful staff, large, clean, comfy and airy room (smoking and windows opened), convenient position in Argyle Street, minutes from Central Station. It might not have room service but with 24 hour shops 2 mins away who needs it and the lack of superfluous services was a 'breath of fresh air'.
No muss, no fuss, great value: http://alexanderthomsonhotel.co.uk/

Had a delicious meal just round the corner from the hotel in Hope St at Bombay Blues. The spicy aromas emanating from of their extensive buffet drew Vic and the gnu in, a very good decision. http://bombaybluesglasgow.co.uk/

The gnu needed a bit of a trim and the very helpful people in Office suggested DLC Hairdressing, Mitchell Lane, off Buchanan St. Gnu was very pleased with the result, again a no fuss no muss approach. http://dlchairdressing.weebly.com/
PS You've got to wait 48 hours to have any colour done- allergy testing.

Another bit of genius from Andrew Shaw with this promo for Vic and The Sect's Caught in Midstream/You Bring Out The Demon in Me 7"including live Subway Sect footage from Lee McFadden and Tracey Holloway from The Water Rats 29th March 2013.

Both songs streaming here:https://soundcloud.com/aedrecords/sets/caught-in-midstream-vic-godard
Delight all round with the response to the single, thanks to Aed and RSD and a big up to everyone who stocked it and bought it (and continuing to buy it from the participating Record Shops) and a big YA BOO SUCKS TO YOU to the cynical scuzzos who bought it just to sell on a particular website, obviously didn't get the ethos of Record STORE Day. PLEASE DON'T BUY FROM THESE LEECHES, remaining RSD stock is now available on line as well as in store from participating shops:http://www.recordstoreday.com/Venues?country=United+Kingdom&venue=and Aed, Vic and the Gnu will have some copies from 18th May so don't pay over the odds. Many thanks to Marc Riley for giving the single lots of airplay, about 1h 19mins in this episode just after the Pastels at 1h 10mins in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ry2qt

and here: https://www.facebook.com/events/550980194923304/
The gnu will be bearing gifts as she did in London and Brighton, going
with the retro theme this time in keeping with the feeling of the
northern soul single .....BUT with two weeks to go it could prove to be bad gnews for the gnu's gnashers!

A taster of what's in store courtesy of chroniclers Lee and Tracey (minus Flash the Sax and Yusuf)

* Gert's observation based on gigs 2008 to Now - I think I may have alluded to this before but is a curious phenomenon that in the UK, apart from the always hugely enjoyable Spinning Chilli gigs in Brighton and a few for Bitterscene, Chelmsford, The Thunderbolt, Bristol and two in Brixton, it is nearly always
North, further North, Scotland or London (north of the Thames) where Vic and
Subway Sect or Sexual Objects play. So is there
something, particularly in the northern psyche, that gets it and if so is it definable? Does it geographically reflect the areas and communities where music and the the arts generally are welcomed, appreciated and nurtured and generally add to the local sum of human happiness?...................... Or is it just a Vic thing?

There are a couple of photographic books just out, one is The Punk Photography of Sheila Rock in which amongst many others, is an unusually posed picture of the early Subway Sect. Gerti has it on good authority that it was Rob Symmons who was responsible for the pose - Rob played guitar Vic didn't so Vic should have the guitar, Myers to hold his bass like a handbag and apparently Vic thinks Paul Packham was just trying to look hard, not sure about the "pure" and "beautiful" though in this piece from Sean O' Hagan The Observer 27.04.2013- http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2013/apr/27/punk-photographs-sheila-rock-pictures#/?picture=407831194&index=6

AND THEN there is Harry Papadopoulos' wonderful book What Presence! Vic compares his work to Henri Cartier Bresson and Gert totally agrees. The photographs from 1976 to 1984 are evocative of time and place and the portraits in particular have a resonating poignancy and I openly admit that when I got to the last photograph, of Harry himself, I had a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. An exhibition of his work will visit Dundee from 3rd May, details here:http://www.dundee.com/events/what-presence-rock-photography-harry-papadopoulos.html
And buy it here, you won't regret it,whether you are a fan of the period of music it brings vividly back to life or appreciate the art and skill involved in taking beautiful photographs: http://www.birlinn.co.uk/What-Presence.html